For starters, both were special editions. The 2014 Toyota FJ Cruiser Trail Teams Ultimate Edition is one of the last of 2500 FJs that’ll be produced, and it’s going out with a bang. The FJ has been equipped with several TRD off-road parts and gadgetry designed to make off-roading easier. The 2014 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Willys Wheeler Edition is also special in that it pays homage to Jeeps of yesteryear. Based off the base Wrangler Sport trim, the Wrangler Willys Wheeler adds a limited-slip, BF Goodrich KM Mud Terrain tires, rock rails, and other exclusive design elements.

As for performance, not one SUV performed significantly better than the other, but that wasn’t too much of a surprise considering both SUVs are body-on-frame SUVs with four doors, V-6 engines, five-speed automatic transmissions, and heavy-duty four-wheel drive systems with two-speed transfer cases. The Jeep, powered by a 3.6-liter V-6 pumping out 285 hp and 260 lb-ft of torque was first to 60 mph, hitting the mark in 7.8 seconds. The heavier FJ, with its bigger 270 hp and 278 lb-ft of torque 4.0-liter V-6, hits 60 mph after 8.0 seconds. The Wrangler was again a hair quicker though the quarter mile, while it also performed slightly better than the Toyota in braking. The FJ Cruiser managed to beat the Jeep around the figure eight. In our day-to-day use portion of the comparison, both were easy to live with, however, we found that the FJ’s age was starting to show with an outdated interior.

It all boils down to the dirt. While the FJ easily absorbed bumps and ruts at high speeds, it wasn’t quite as capable as the Jeep on the more technical parts of the trail, and that’s probably because it of its larger front and rear overhangs. For those who usually let cost be deciding factor, the Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Willys Wheeler Edition starts at $32,890 while the Toyota FJ Cruiser Trail Teams Ultimate Edition starts at $37,455. Add the optional TRD catback exhaust, towing hitch, and carpeted floor mats, and that cost rises to $39,439, which is still more expensive than the $34,880 Wrangler outfitted with Uconnect and an automatic transmission.